Wednesday, June 16, 2010

In 2004, Zito's Bakery closed after 80 years in business. At the time, along with rent increases and the rising price of coal, Mr. Zito cited the war on carbohydrates. Since then, the beloved bakery has remained empty and unrented.

The facade has become a miserable canvas for junk graffiti and stickers. One of the tinted glass panels above the window has popped out, leaving behind a dark cavity. But this month a building permit has gone onto the door for a $160,000 renovation--for a "BUILD OUT OF A PIZZERIA."

So much for the war on carbohydrates.

A quick search online reveals an article from Crain's, who reports that "Pizza Roma is taking over the former home of the famous Zito’s Bakery... The new eatery, which has outposts in Rome and Barcelona, is expected to open its first Manhattan location within four months and hopes to follow up with more New York eateries in coming months."

So, Zito's is getting a chain--at least it's Italian.

Will Pizza Roma keep any of the interior? Here's a shot I took in 2008. While the shelves and tiling are intact, it looks like there's not much there to save.

Man, I used to get a semolina roll at Zito's like every other day on my way to school when I was a little kid. Zito's was one of the first places from my childhood that went out of business and I remember being really, really bummed. Tricia, I also heard that Zito's kids didn't want to take over the bakery, and I'm sure that was the main reason for it's closing. It was too good of a bakery to close otherwise.